Boat trailer attachment



0V- 5 94 L. w. DAvns 943997@ BOAT TRAILER ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 7, 194s 2 sheets-sheet 1 NOV. 5, 1946. L w, DAVIS BOAT TRAILER ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. '7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WAV, A

nuanfmj LeuWaHerDams Entente@ Nov. a, in

'FFICE BOAT TRAILER ATTACHMENT Levi Walter Davis, Marne, Mich.

Application February 7, 1945, Serial No. 576,666

4 Claims. t l

This invention relates to a novel attachment which may be applied to the sides of a boat which may thereupon be converted into a trailer, making transportation of the boat to the place where it is to be used very simple and easy, and of course a boat when thus converted into a trailer may be used also for normal trailer purposes.

It is an object and purpose of the present invention to provide such attachment, one of which may be secured at each side of and extend below the boat, each having a wheel to roll upon the ground, each of said Wheels being supplied with a spring to cushion shock as the converted boat trailer is moved over the road. A further object of the invention is to provide such attachments and connect them detachably one to each side of the boat, so that they may be very quickly and easily removed when the boat is to serve its normal functions. Other objects and purposes including novel means for effectively building and constructing the attachment will be understood and will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a boat having the trailer attachment of my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of said trailer attachment and a portion of the side of a boat to which it is attached.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section through a side of the boat, the trailer attachment being shown in front elevation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section through a side of the boat, showing the construction of the attachment and where and how it is secured, and

Fig. 5 is a substantially horizontal section on the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 4 looking in an upward direction.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different gures of the drawings.

The boat may be of any conventional structure having generally vertical sides I, usually somewhat inclined outwardly and with a bottom 2. It is to the sides I of the boat that the attachments of my invention are to be detachably secured. Each side of the boat at the proper place in the length thereof is provided with suitable members 3 preferably of a disk form located at the inner side of said boat side and each having a central boss 4 extending therethrough, the boss being interiorly bored and threaded. Over a plurality of rows of such bosses. an outside plate 5 may be detachably secured by means of screws 5 passing through the plate and threading into said bosses Il as best shown in Fig. 4. It is of course evident that the plate 5 and any- .thlng connected therewith may be quickly and easily attached in place or removed whenever desired.

At the outer side of the plate 5 a suitable sup-l porting bracket is secured, made from a length of flat bar material, with an outer generally vertical section 'I, upper and lower sections 8 turned again at right angles toward each other and lying against and secured to the plate 5 by welding or other suitable permanent connection. The bar 1 lies substantially parallel to the plate 6 and in the upper and lower sections 8 circular openings are made for the passage of a post of wheel carrying member of the attachment.

In the assembly of the parts, against the under side of the lower section 8 a block I Il is located of the shape best shown in Fig. 5, which has an edge lying against the plate 5'whereby said block is held against turning movement. The block is provided with two angularly disposed set screws II which reach to a centrally disposed circular opening so as to engage against the upper end portion of a tubular post I2 which passes upwardly through the openings in said block I0 and in said upper and lower sections 8 of the previously described bracket. A collar I3 on the post upper end of the post has openings for the passage of a retaining pin I4. When thus assembled the set screws II are tightened snugly against the post I2 whereby the post is held against any turning movement about its longitudinal axis.

'I'he lower portion of the post I2 extends below the bottom of the boat and is disposed vertically as shown in Fig. 3, the post being bent between its endsfthe necessary amount, dependent upon what may be the inclination of the side I of the boat away from the vertical. At the lower end of thepost I2 a bracket I5 is permanently secured having a boss, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, extending to the lower end of the tubular post. On the bracket I5 a lever is mounted one end of which is forked, having spaced apart arms I6 and with a single arm I'I extending oppositely. The lever is pivotally mounted to turn about a horizontal axis upon apivot pin I8 passing through the bracket I5. A cross bar I9 extends between the two arms I6 of the fork and the bracket I5 has a stop projection I5a at its rear side so that the lever is stopped in a, rotative movement in a counterclockwise direction-by said bar I9 coming against the projection lia,

comes against the underside of block I 0. The` I Y 3 I asshowninthedashed linesatthelowerpartoi Fig. 2. A wheel 2l of a conventional structure preferably provided lwith a pneumatic tire,

mounted upon a suitable'axleY extending between the outer ends of the two sides il o! the described fork. A relatively heavy coiled tension spring' 2i is connected at one end to the Vi'ree end ot the arm I1 and at its oppomte end to an ear Ilextending laterally from the collar Il. Said spring.

'normally tends to move the'lever il-il in a clockwise direction about the pivot Il. the weight -oi' the boat and its contents with two of the attachments secured to the boat. one at each side causing the springs 2i ofr both attachments to be stretched in accordance with the weight vwhich is supported thereby. For connection of 'the front end of the boat to a motor vehicle which is to pull it over the road, the iront part of the boat may be supplied with any desired or conventional type of hitch generally indicated at 2l in Fig. 1.

With this construction theboat'being supplied with the inner disks l having outwardly extending bosses I, a pluralityY of them at each side of A the boat, the attachments one for each side oi'V the boat may-be connected in .place by use of the screws l: and of course may be as quickly and easily removed by withdrawing said screws. When secured in place the attachments, one at each side of the boat, support vthe boat in an elevated position above Ythe Vground and provide a wheel support therefor so that it may be readily pulled over the road.` Ihe springs 2| cushion any shocks occurring during such rolling movement. The stops at Ita prevent excessive elongation of the springs 2| and insure against the wheels coming against the bottom of the set screws il associated therewith provide a novel and ready means for the proper adjustment of the wheels with reference to each other Aand* to the ground over which they are to be drawn.

'I'he construction described is very practical and useful. It`is readily manufactured and is 4 ofthe bracket being permanentlysecured to said Ybase platend Said ends having alilied Openings therethrough, a post extending openingaadetachablepin passingthroughthe upper end portion 'of the post-above the upper end o! the bracket, a block having a side bearing against the base plate located'belowand against A the lower end of said bracket, lmeans for seeming the block to said post, said post extending downwardly,V a lever pivotally 'mounted between its endstoturnonahorizontalaxis,onsaidpost at its lower end, said lever to'oe side of said pivot comprising a fork having spaced 'apart sides, a

.wheel disposed between said sides and mounted at the ends thereof to turn -abcutva horizontal axis, and a tension spring connected at one end to the opposite end of the lever and at its other.

Vend to said post adjacent said block.

inner side of each side of the. boat, each having a. central boss passing through the side of the boat,"each of said bosses being interiorly bored f and threaded, a plate locatedl against the outer .boat as shown in Fig.' 2. The block at Il! and particularly easy to apply or to remove. The disks Y 3 with the central outwardly extending bosses ings for the passage of the bosses l, and driving the screws by means of which said disks are secured inplace. Y

The invention is deilned in' the appended claims and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all Yforms of structure coming within their scope. e

I claim:

4 are likewise quickly and readily applied to the sides of a boat, merely boring the necessary openside of each side of the boat, screws passing through said plate into said bosses. a post con- Y nected with each plate and extending downwardly therefrom below the boat, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends at the lower end oi the post to turn about a horizontal axis, a wheel mounted to turn on a horizontal axis at one end `of said lever, and spring means between` the oppositeend oi the lever and said post resisting turning movement of the lever in one direction.

4. In a, construction as described, a base plate adapted to be secured in a generally vertical position against and to the side of Ya body, a bracket connected to and extending` outwardly from said base plate having spaced apart upper and lower Y portions with alined openings therethrough, a

post 'extending at its upperend'portion through said openings and below the'plate, a lever pivotaily mounted between its ends at the lower end of the post, a. wheel carried at lone end of the lever to turn about a horizontal axis, Vspring means be- -1. In a construction as described, an attachi' ment adapted to be secured, one toV each side of a boat, said attachment comprising, a base plate adapted to be detachably secured to a side of the boat, a bracket made from a length or nat metal having upper and'lower spaced apart ends and an outer side connecting said ends, said ends tween the opposite ends or the lever and said post'yieldingly resisting turning movement of the `lever in one direction,'and ablock at the lower side of said bracket having a side engaging against the base plate to lock the block against turning movement, said postV passing through saidV block, and releasable securing means mounted on said block and engaging against the post to hold it in iixed relation'to the block. Y

^ LEVI WALTER DAVIS. 

